By Nicolas Bard

The volcanic land of Santorini “concealedwell in its viscera for centuries a drunken secret … A tradition of many years, which older generations inherit the following, so as not to lose the fruit and varieties of a wine with particular identity and explosive backgrounds.

One behind the other, “bowed” low to the ground, so as not to resist the strong winds of the Aegean, and with their branches tangled in elaborate way, the Santorini vines are ancestors of many thousands of years. The volcanic land did its miracle and the island’s wineries made sure to use it and promote it properly, producing very good wine every year. You will hear the famous sweet Vinsanto wine, which has been awarded many times, and has been described as the “sun of the sun”.

The island’s vineyard is 15,000 acres. It starts from the west altitudes of the island, just above the steep rocks of the caldera, at a height of 300 meters, spreads and descends to the east coast of the island. This vineyard is ancient, with very old varieties. The findings in the excavations of the prehistoric city of Akrotiri argue that there was a vine cultivation on the island at least from the 17th century BC. This prehistoric vineyard was completely destroyed by the famous Minoan explosion in 1613 BC. However, nature did its miracle again and on the new volcanic soil, a vineyard was created around 1200 BC. So it would not be an exaggeration to say that the Santorini vineyard is over 3,200 years old, as it has since been cultivated!

The vineyard and consequently wine is at the center of the life of the island. The vines are self -sufficient, over 50 years of age, and grow on porous soil, rich in pumice stone and porcelain. The renewal of the vineyard from antiquity to the present day is done in exactly the same way, with the so -called “cathedral”. The vineyards of Santorini are living works of art and their pruning technique is unique and ancient. The locals ended up in it because of many elements – the sandy soil, the strong winds that blow in the spring and the hot summer sun.

There are two types of pruning: the “shoot”, which prevails in places where it blows the most and is the most widespread, and the “bun” or otherwise “branch”. The island is cultivated 80% of the white Assyrtiko, the most famous variety of the Mediterranean vineyard. In smaller quantities, Athiri and Aidani are cultivated, along with other indigenous varieties. From the red varieties, the variety of Madilari and Mavrotragano stand out. From Assyrtiko and Aidani that sunbathe after vintage, and then aging in wooden barrels, the famous Vinsanto comes out. The vintage in the local dialect is called “Ventema”.

You will see vineyards in various parts of the island. In Pyrgos, in Kamari, in the Outside Gonia, in Emporio, in Akrotiri, in Vourvoulos, outside Oia, Fira and Imerovigli and elsewhere. If you are on the island of July with August, it is worth watching the vintage process. These vineyards make up a setting of unparalleled beauty, but behind them hide the human labor of centuries. The formation of separate flat cultivation (terraces), with the construction of the windscreen and the “snakes” paths for the passage of both people and donkeys, is the result of many years of hard work. And the work of the wine -growers did not stop at the maintenance of the terraces … They had to be constantly in the vine for carvings, carvings and throat so that not a single bunch would be lost. After the vintage, the grapes were transported to the cannabis (warehouses), the grape pressing, and finally the cleaning of the vineyard with the leaf picking, which was an ideal food for the animals, and the vineyards used for the sake of being used. fire.

They get used to saying that the more a wine gets old, the better it becomes. And the truth is that in Santorini, the maturation that has occurred over the years is now reflected in the distinctive taste of the island’s wine. A wine that “carries” within it the heavy history of the place, and it is a live indication that the Santorini has always been connected to it. The great eruption of the volcano may initially buried the vines under the ash, but they were reborn through the ashes, blossomed and have since made the most delicious Aegean wine.